Position SummaryLead the company's food safety, supplier assurance, food defense, and regulatory compliance programs across a global supplier network. Serve as the senior technical authority, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing supplier risk, protecting consumers, supporting business growth, and maintaining customer confidence.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop the Food Safety & Supplier Assurance team.
- Manage supplier approval, qualification, audit, and performance programs.
- Oversee food safety, food defense, traceability, recall, and corrective action processes.
- Ensure compliance with CFIA/SFCR, FDA, FSMA, and FSVP requirements.
- Evaluate food safety and supply chain risks associated with suppliers, products, and sourcing initiatives.
- Partner with Procurement, Operations, Sales, and Executive Leadership to provide technical guidance and risk-based recommendations.
- Lead responses to food safety incidents, regulatory issues, customer concerns, and supplier non-conformances.
- Support customer, certification, internal, and regulatory audits.
- Establish KPIs, reporting metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance quality systems and supplier performance.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, customers, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Safety, Microbiology, Quality Assurance, or a related discipline.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in Food Safety, Supplier Quality, Regulatory Compliance, or Quality Assurance leadership.
- Experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
- Strong knowledge of HACCP, Preventive Controls, Supplier Assurance, Traceability, Recall Management, CAPA, and Risk Assessment.
- Thorough understanding of CFIA/SFCR, FDA, FSMA, and FSVP regulations.
- Experience leading supplier qualification, auditing, and compliance programs.
- Proven ability to influence cross-functional teams and make sound risk-based decisions.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience within food importing, ingredient sourcing, food distribution, trading, brokerage, or supply chain quality environments.
- Professional certifications such as PCQI, HACCP, SQF Practitioner, BRCGS, ASQ, or similar.
Ideal Candidate Profile
A strategic food safety leader with deep regulatory expertise, strong supplier quality management experience, and a track record of leading teams and influencing stakeholders across complex global supply chains. Able to balance consumer protection, regulatory compliance, and commercial objectives while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence.
